Department for Education

Department for Education: Procurement

Lord Stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the Department for Education complies with procurement guidelines by removing references to retention deductions from all future building work procurement contracts.

Baroness Barran: The department takes into account all legislation and government guidance in its construction procurements, including procurement policy notes and the Construction Playbook. Its approach to contractual payment mechanisms balances the efficient operation of its construction contracts and management of public money against the expectations of the construction sector. The use of retentions in construction contracts is subject to ongoing consultation across government, and the industry and the department are keen to be part of this debate.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Northern Ireland Protocol

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland gives legal effect to a Regulatory Border in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Article 4 of the Protocol is clear that Northern Ireland is part of the customs territory of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, Article 6 of the Protocol provides that the Protocol does not prevent the United Kingdom from ensuring unfettered market access for goods moving from Northern Ireland to other parts of the United Kingdom's internal market. The Government also provided additional protections to Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom's internal market with the Internal Market Act 2020.Any sustainable solution must ensure that the impediments to East-West trade are removed and goods can flow freely in both direction between GB and NI.

Department of Health and Social Care

Hospitals: Coronavirus

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the risk to hospital patients of catching the Omicron variant of COVID-19 from unvaccinated hospital staff; what estimate they have made, if any, of how many patients (1) may catch Omicron this way, and (2) may die as a result; and what plans they have, if any, to put in place processes by which unvaccinated staff may be subject to criminal liability for infecting patients with COVID-19.

Lord Kamall: We are still in the early stages of understanding the impact of the Omicron variant on vaccine efficacy, where evidence is limited. NHS England and NHS Improvement do not hold data of how many patients have acquired COVID-19, including the Omicron variant, whilst in hospital or how they became infected.NHS England and NHS Improvement work with National Health Service trusts to ensure hospitals are implementing robust COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures in all areas to prevent the transmission of the virus. This includes physical distancing, optimal hand hygiene, equipment and environment decontamination and extended use of face masks by healthcare staff, patients and visitors, which is continually reviewed.We have no plans to put in place processes by which unvaccinated staff may be subject to criminal liability for infecting patients with COVID-19. Organisations are responsible for ensuring safe systems of work, including managing the risk associated with infectious agents through the completion of risk assessments approved through local governance procedures. National guidance outlines the recommended principles to support local decision making within individual organisations. The vaccination programme has significantly weakened the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths and will continue to be our first line of defence against COVID-19. We encourage those who are eligible for a booster vaccination, including NHS staff, to ensure they have this vital extra protection.

Cabinet Office

10 Downing Street: Crown Lands and Estates

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Number 10 Downing Street is a Crown property; and, if so, whether regulations made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 apply there.

Lord True: No 10 Downing Street is a Crown property. Regulations under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 which relate to the activities of people, apply regardless of whether those activities took place on Crown property or not.